Debra Wutke, Program Manager for Business Management in the Continuing Education division of Red River College describes the paid and volunteer opportunities for retired people in her college:

Many retirees get satisfaction mentoring young people in their field; an ideal place to pass on your experience is at colleges and universities that hire skilled people on short-term contracts to teach continuing education students, and in some cases, full-time students as well.  Alternatively, colleges often invite experienced people to volunteer as guest lecturers once in a term.

When Lyndsay Greene, author of You Could Live a Long Time, found that many experienced retirees had “worked” well past the end of their traditional careers.  They said work — not necessarily paid work — provides purpose and social networks in retirement.

They emphasized that, in the post-career phase of work, you shouldn’t expect the same level of responsibility and authority as in your career.

Going on a Cuso International mission can be a very rewarding experience for the right volunteer.

Anne and Andy Joyce describe how volunteering in Namibia affected them:

A few years ago, I interviewed Doreen Spence who described her experience volunteering with in Africa:

Erin recommends checking the Cuso International volunteer placements page to see if there are any opportunities which fit your profile, and apply using the forms available on their site.  Even if you don’t find something that fits, you can send Cuso an application to keep on file in case a suitable opportunity opens up.

CUSO has produced videos to describe their programs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ghS73boQoQ

They are looking for people with a variety of management and technical skills to help NGOs or government agencies for periods ranging from three weeks to two years.  They post their openings at Uniterra.ca. It’s best to apply for specific volunteer opportunities, but you can also send in your resume for ongoing consideration.

To find out more, go to: Uniterra.ca